Read Book 2 - Warlock for Free Online

interest in those days. They lived in an eternal
now.
    Marika’s pack had maintained a record of its achievements
called the Degnan Chronicle. That it had been kept in her
dam’s loghouse had been a source of pride to the pup. Barlog
still kept it up, for she and Grauel believed that as long as it
survived and remained current, the Degnan pack survived. As a
historical instrument, the Degnan Chronicle was superior to any
kept by the Reugge even now. For the Reugge Community, history was
an oral tradition mainly of self-justification.
    Broader historical studies proved no more informative. They
raised more questions than they answered, as far as Marika could
see. What were the origins of the meth? In olden times—as now
among the nomads of the north—they were pack hunters.
Physically, they resembled a carnivore called a kagbeast. But
kagbeasts were not intelligent, nor did their females rule their
packs. In fact, female meth did not rule the primitive packs of the
southern hemisphere, where silth births were rare. There the males
hunted on equal footing.
    When Marika asked, Dorteka theorized, “Female rule
developed because of the high incidence of silth births in northern
litters. So I have heard.
    “Primitive packs such as your own are structured around
the strong. When the strong become weakened by time or disease,
they are pushed aside. But a silth could stave off challengers even
though she was weak physically, and once in command would tend to
be partial to those who shared her talent. In primitive packs where
breeding rights are reserved for the dominant females, silth
dominance would mean especial favor to the spread of the silth
strain.”
    Marika observed, “Then an old female like my instructress
Gorry, at Akard, could stay in control till she died, yet could not
lead or make rational decisions, really.”
    Dorteka snorted. “Which indicts the silth structure, yes.
For all the most senior said about trust and whatnot in your
interview—yes, I have heard all about that—we live
under rule by terror, pup. The most capable do not run the
Communities. The most terrible do. Thus you have a Bestrei among
the Serke without a brain at all but in high station because she is
invincible in darkwar. She is one of many who would not survive
long if stripped of her talent.”
    After general history came another meal, followed by a long
afternoon spent trying to harness and expand Marika’s
talents.
    Dorteka went through everything with her, side by side. She
graded herself, making herself the standard against which Marika
should perform.
    Marika almost enjoyed herself. For the first time since the fall
of the Degnan packstead, she felt like her life was going
somewhere.
    The exercises, the entire program, were nothing like what she
had had to suffer through with Gorry. There were no monsters, no
terrors, no threats, no abuses. For silth class Marika seated
herself upon a mat, closed her eyes, led herself into a trance
where her mind floated free, unsupported by ghosts. Dorteka
adamantly insisted she shun those-who-dwell.
    “They are treacherous, Marika. Like chaphe is treacherous.
You can turn to them too often, till you become dependent upon them
and turn to them every time you are under pressure. They become an
escape. Go inside and see how many other paths lie open.”
    Marika was amazed to discover that most silth could not reach or
manipulate the deadly ghosts. That was a rare talent, dark-walking.
The rarest and most dread talent of them all was being able to
control the giants that moved the darkships—the very giants
she had summoned at Akard for more lethal employment against
nomads.
    Her heart leapt when she learned that. She would fly!
    Flight had become a goal bordering upon obsession.
    “When can I begin learning the darkships, mistress?”
she asked. “That is what interests me.”
    “Not soon. Only after you have a sound grounding in
everything it takes to become true silth. The most senior